Muslims in Modem Southeast Asia: Radicalism in Historical Perspectives

Abstract

Amid the overwhelming mass media coverage of ”Islamic terrorism” today, Muslims insist that radicals from among their fold who endorse terrorism are minorities and extremists. In this article, I shall examine some historical episodes where Muslims are involved in argument about the use of violence. First of all I shall re-examine the debates among Muslim scholars on the propagation of ”holy war” (”jihad”) during the 19th century, especially in the Dutch East Indies territories. The majority maintain that holy war can be religiously launched in order to end injustice and colonization meted out by the Europeans. Some other scholars, however, argue that the contemporary conditions were not conducive to launch holy war, and thus it is Islamic ally unlawful. During the second half of the 20th century, armed struggles were launched by Muslims or Islamic movements in many different parts of Southeast Asia against the central governments. These struggles are not necessarily directed against non-Muslim rulers. Still other movements, using violence as a means of pressing their agenda, are less interested in changing government or taking over power. They rather insist on the implementation of religious principles through concrete actions, including the use of violence. In addition to comparing historical phenomena and periods, this article aims to delineate the ideological arguments and intellectual facets raised by and found in these diverse Islamic movements.